evrard



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

A. EVRARD.

APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY LOWERING ARTICLES AND CHECK FOR SPEED.

No. 416,159. Patented Dec. 3, 1889.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALFRED EVRARD, OF PARIS, FRANCE.

APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY LOWERING ARTICLES AND CHECK FOR SPEED.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 416,159, dated December3, 1889.

Application filed April 19, 1889. Serial No. 307,900- (No model.)Patented in France November 23, 1887, No. 187,788; in

Belgium February 7, 1888, No. 80,556, and in England February 10, 1388,No. 2,044:-

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED EVRARD, a citizen of the French Republic,residing at Paris, France, have invented a new and useful Apparatus forAutomatically Lowering Packages, Bales, or other Articles, and a Checkfor Regulating the Speed of Same, (for which I have obtained LettersPatent in France, No. 187,788, dated November 23, 1887; in GreatBritain, No. 2,04A, dated February 10, 1888, and in Belgium, No. 80,556,dated February 7, 1888;) and I do hereby declare that the following is afull, clear, and exact description of the same.

My invention has for its object an automatic or self-acting apparatusfor lowering articles, together with a check for regulating the speed ofsame; and it consists, essentially, in the combination of a resistingsteel ribbon whereto the burden which is to be lowered is attached, witha spool whereon the ribbon is attached and rolled, which spool, isprovided with a screw-shaped toothed wheel gearing with a worm mountedon a common axle, with a self-actin g regulating brake or check formedby a system of small heavy bodies interlocated between the arms of aframe, which, being 011 the same axle with the worm, is of coursecarried along in its rotary motion, thereby pushing the said bodies bycentrifugal force against the inside surface of the box wherein thesystem is contained.

In the annexed drawings, Figure 1 shows an exterior view of theapparatus; Fig. 2, a sectional View 011 the line a b of Fig. 1; Fig. 3,a sectional view on the line 0 (Z c f of Fig. 2; Fig. 4, a sectionalView on the line g h of Fig. 3. Figs. 5, 6, and 7 show details of someparts of the apparatus.

Similar letters of reference refer to similar parts throughout theseveral views.

The apparatus is composed of a spool A, whereon is rolled a ribbon oflaminated steel B, with a capability of carrying one hundred and fiftykilograms per square millimeter in section, which may be readilyobtained at the present state of metallurgy. This ribbon is attached tothe central part of the spool, which is allowed to revolve in a casingD, wherein it is held by means of its hollow pivots D.

The spoolA carries at one side on its exterior periphery a screw-shapedtoothed Wheel A, which gears with aworm E, on the axle E of which wormis mounted a frame F,

lodged in a cylindric casing G, formed in one with the casing or box D.Six (more or less) small but heavy bodies in sector shape H are looselyintercalated in the arms of the frame F.

The apparatus being secured to a stationary point by means of the ringL, and the articles which are to be lowered being suspended to the ringL, the ribbon will roll off under the strain of the weight of thearticle, and will thereby carry along the spool, which brings the worm Eand the intercalated bodies H into motion. These bodies are by theworking of centrifugal force pushed against the inside walls of thecasing G, and produce a friction in proportion to the square of thespeed of descent of the article. From the commencement of the loweringthe speed of the descent is regulated by the check or frame operating,as above described, in proportion with its dimensions. The ribbon havingbeen rolled off, the apparatus must be brought back into workingposition, and for this purpose the worm E must be taken out of gear withregard to the screw-shaped toothed wheel A, so as to allow the steelribbon to be wound up again. For this purpose the lid I, closing thecasing G, is provided with a disk 1', Figs. 3 and 7, wherein an openingI is arranged, through which opening the axle I of the worm passes, soas to disengage the screwshaped toothed wheel A. In order to bring theopening I over the axle 1 it is suflicient to revolve the disk I .on thescrew t'. The axle I is then projected and consequently the worm E takenout of gear. This done, the crank m, pivoted at m on the spool A, isturned outward, and by means of this crank the ribbon is again rolled onthe spool in the same manner as is clone with a tape-measure. As soon asthe ribbon is entirely rolled on the spool the axle I and in connectiontherewith the worm E, is pushed back to its place and consequentlythrown into gear again. The disk I is revolved in an inverse directionon the screw 6, so as to steady and hold from endwise movement the axleI of the worm, whereupon the small crank m is turned again inward totake the position shown in Fig. 2, whereby its knob m is held in placeby the plate-spring n, wherein a hole at is arranged, as shown in Fig.5. The apparatus is then put back to a place ready for use.

WVhat I claim is- 1. In an automatic apparatus for lowering articles,the combination of a spool, a suspension-ribbon or its equivalent woundthereon and attached thereto, arotary shaft geared with said spool, aframe carried by said shaft, a casin g surrounding said frame, and aheavy body loose within the casing engaged by said frame and adapted tobe thrown into frietional contact with the inner peripheral surface ofsaid casing by the revolution of said shaft, substantially as set forth.

2. In an automatic apparatus for lowering articles, the combination of aspool having a worm-wheel, a suspension-ribbon or its equivalent woundthereon and attached thereto, a rotary shaft and worm engaging saidwheel, a frame carried by said shaft, a casing surrounding said frame,and a heavy body engaged by said frame, and within and adapted to bethrown into frictional contact with said casing by the revolution ofsaid shaft, said shaft being bodily movable to disengage it from theworm to allow of thewinding up of the ribbon, substantially as setforth.

3. In an automatic apparatus for lowering articles, the combination of aspool, a suspension-ribbon or its equivalent wound thereon, a rotaryshaft geared with said spool, a frame carried by said shaft, a casingsurrounding said frame, and a heavy body engaged by said frame, andWithin and adapted to be thrown into frictional contact with said casingby the revolution of said shaft, said casing having an end aperture andmovable cover or disk for permitting the end movement of said shaft andworm to disengage the latter from the spool, substantially as set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twowitnesses.

ALFRED EVRARD.

Witnesses:

LoUIs TROTTIER, J ULES DAYOLLET.

